Sports
Jan Ballesteros 6y

Cancer survivor Daniela dela Pisa dominates at Palarong Pambansa

Olympic Sports

BANTAY, Ilocos Sur - Athletes in the 2018 Palarong Pambansa continued to shatter old marks after another in the homestretch of the Vigan showpiece.

But Daniela dela Pisa stole the spotlight on Thursday after copping four gold medals in the secondary girls gymnastics.

A cancer survivor, the 14-year-old Dela Pisa from Central Visayas lorded over the rope (11.067), hoop (14.783), clubs (10.9667), and ball (15.300) events, respectively with moves so polished an ordinary observer might mistake her for an adult.

Her wins came 10 years after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She recovered through a series of treatments and committed to her craft shortly after.

Thanks to her perseverance and dedication in honing her skills, the University of Visayas bet is now a medal athlete who aspires to play for the national team.

"I'm happy. I train everyday because my goal is to become a national team member someday," said the icoming Grade 9 student, who hauled down three gold medals, two silver mints, and a bronze in last year's edition of the games in Antique.

Meanwhile, Veruel Verdadero, Calabarzon's Eliza Cuyom and Jessel Lumampas, and archery standouts Jared Cole Sua, Phoebe Amistoso, and Charmain Villamor broke records in their respective events.

Less than 24 hours after setting a new national junior record in the century dash, Verdadero impressed anew by way of 10.55-second finish in the 400-meter sprint.

Cuyom topped the 100-meter hurdles secondary girls by clocking 14.50 seconds to erase a 22-year-old record of 14.9 ticks held by Michelle Patasha of Western Mindanao.

Lumampas registered 56.28 seconds to eclipse a previous Palaro record of 57.33 set in 2011 by Jenny Rose Rosales who, incidentally, also hailed from the same region.

"I didn't expect to break a record. All I wanted was the gold medal," said Lumampas in Filipino.

Sua, Amistoso, and Villamor, on the other hand, shone the brightest in archery.

Sua of Ilocos regions topped the single vita and 60-meter secondary boys events while setting a new benchmark in the 70-meter with a score of 313.

Amistoso scored a double gold, including one in the single fita category where she set a record of 1312 points. Villamor broke her own record and had 321 points to rule the 60-meter secondary girls.

In wushu, Keanu Reeves Gayamman proved to be just as dazzling as his Holywood namesake after emerging as the best in the 48-kilogram event.

The wushu artist from the Cordillera region bested Alebasherfahad Mohammad (silver), and Leonard Lumayag and John Loyd Lanaza, who both settled for a bronze mint.

In taekwondo's poomsae competition, Cordillera region swept the group categories of the secondary boys and girls.

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